[Women leaders of today]

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Women leaders of today

Of the United States work population, 70 million women were employed in 2006. In terms of leadership positions, females comprised of 38% of the management positions (U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau, 2008). Women have come a long way but are still underrepresented in leadership positions within male-dominated occupations. The male-dominated occupation of particular interest to the researcher is the sport industry.

The sport industry consists of many segments which include intercollegiate athletics, interscholastic athletics, academics (scholastic physical education and academia), recreational sport (campus recreation, health and fitness industry, facility and event management, leisure service management), business (sport related business, professional sport, sport communications), and diverse populations (international sport, sport for people with disabilities, African American women) (Hums, Bower, & Grappendorf, 2007).

The degree of underrepresentation of women within leadership positions within the sport industry has been well-documented in intercollegiate athletics (Acosta & Carpenter, 2008), interscholastic athletics (Whisenant 2003; 2004), academics (Grappendorf, Smucker, & Pent, 2006), recreational sports (Bower & Hums, 2003), business (Lough, 2007), and diverse populations (Lapchick, 2008).

Often the road to leadership positions in the sport industry is difficult because of barriers. Some of these barriers include the need for women to prove themselves, lack of support, balancing work and family, old boys network, lack of training and career development (Lough, 2001; Weaver & Chelladuri, 2002). One of the most critical aspects of advancing women in leadership positions within sport is the mentoring relationship. As the number of women entering sport increases, a growing number of professionals recognize the inherent benefits and challenges between the mentor and the protégé. While the mentoring relationship is important in career development for both genders, it is particularly critical for women, especially those in male dominated professions such as the sport industry. Mentors may buffer the female manager from overt and covert discrimination, and help their female protégé circumvent structural, social, and cultural barriers to advancement in the organization (Bower, Hums, & Keedy, 2006; Grappendorf, Burton, & Lilienthal, 2007; Sagas & Cunningham, 2004). Thus, a review of the mentoring literature is warranted.

In a society, despite of its all development and tolerance, public opinion mostly has been formed by men, therefore the attitude to the women promptly rising on a career ladder and showing miracles of diligence and professional competence, always will be extraordinary starting from admiration up to indulgent skepticism. And it means that women still should prove both to the surrounding and to themselves that they can cope with work not worse and frequently even better than their men colleagues. Especially it is common in Kyrgyzstan.

The statistics are not on the side of the weaker sex. Women leaders of large companies and women-politicians in the government or non-government structure make little number than men, which give the basis again to specify ladies, their place: if not in the kitchen, then on positions below men's. Laura Lopez, leadership specialist and author of Connected and Committed Leader, suggests to ignore the question of who, men or women, ...